


challenge

by FarCryZine



Category: Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun | My Little Monster
Genre: F/M, Jealousy, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:21:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28817001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FarCryZine/pseuds/FarCryZine
Relationships: Mizutani Shizuku/Yoshida Haru, Yamaguchi Kenji/Yoshida Haru
Kudos: 3





	challenge

It was another late afternoon at Misawa Batting Cages, Yamaken's crew was crowding into one cage, razzing each other and offering insulting slangy criticisms. Haru and Yamaken were lounging in the couch area, Yamaken reading with his glasses on, Haru playing on a DS that had been tossed on the table. Mitchan lazed smoking in the booth, flipping through a magazine. Shizuku was out shopping with Natsume-chan. 

As the boys voices from the cages wafted over them, Yamaken clearly used to blocking them out, Haru slammed the game onto the little coffee table. "I think I can beat just about any game."

"There are games that are unbeatable," Yamaken droned, flipping a page.

Haru screwed up his face, "That's true, but I can probably beat you in this game!"

"I'm sure you could. I have no interest in that game." His blonde hair settled back from his eyes as he lifted his head toward the annoying boy across from him. Damn, he was annoying. Yamaken stared at Haru, watching the expressions rush across his face, tracing the highlights on his cheekbones up under his unruly dark hair that always looked so thick and carefree, curling unexpectedly, like his nature. Objectively, he could see Haru was attractive, but in quite the opposite way that he knew he was. He was clearly more classically handsome with his fine features, thin light hair, and serious poise. Yamaken flipped another page with his long thin hand. 

"I know you wouldn't lift a delicate finger in this, Yamaguchi," Haru scoffed. "How about a knowledge game?!" Further away Mitchan looked over through the smoke, narrowing his eyes at Haru's antics as he jumped up and went over to the game shelf. 

_Delicate?_ Yamaguchi was slightly shocked by Haru's choice of words there. 

"I bet..." Haru began. Yamaken-kun sighed and put his bookmark in. They both stared each other in the eyes, Haru mischeviously, Yamaken seriously. 

It seemed to go on for too long until Haru broke the spell, saying, "I bet I can beat you at Trivial Pursuit questions!"

Yamaken was a bit interested. Here's a wager he might have a chance at. Now what could he gain from this? His mind raced. "Fine, the first person to get 10 correct questions wins."

"What do we win?" Haru was very excited now. This seemed like something that friends did. He flashed a searing smile at Mitchan. Yamaken was alright. He'd known him since they were little, and he had always admired something about him. Was it his class? He confidence? His clear expression? What would he like to win?

Yamaken-kun felt very sly thinking about the prize... What would really mess with Haru? He spoke lowly, "If I win, I get to kiss Shizuku-san, and you have to watch."

The stack of cards suddenly flipped out of Haru's hands as he jerked in anger. "Hah?! Well! If I win, I get to kiss Shizuku and you have to watch!" 

"Haru..." Mitchan said warningly from his post. "Shizuku-chan won't like you guys making bets about her like that."

"It doesn't matter because I'll win! And Yamaken will have to watch; we can hide him!" 

Yamaguchi couldn't exactly tell if Haru was excited about this or not. He didn't seem to be about to have a meltdown. Nor did he have that dark look in his eye from the push-off incident. Nor was he worried about Shizuku finding out. He just seemed...cheerfully competitive. Interesting. Well, in any case, he'd give it his best shot. He was at a disadvantage in that Haru might have already played with these cards so much and may have had them memorized by now. 

Mitchan came over to officiate and read the questions. Once Yamaken's crew returned from the cages, they were already five questions deep and the serious air about the place was tense. They slid in silently and sat clearly on Yamaken's side of the couch area. "What are they playing for?" One of them asked hushed. "Who gets to kiss Shizuku-chan," was whispered back. "Oh." "Hm." "Eh." They didn't seem too invested and one of them picked up the discarded DS. 

Haru's leg was shaking up and down and Yamaken was hunched forward with his arms on his knees as the last round was completed. Yamaken was a point behind and it was probably not looking good for him. He vowed to lose gracefully. However it was very difficult when Haru was suddenly jumping gleefully around the furniture, crowing like a rooster and loudly proclaiming his win as Mitsuyoshi resumed his post saying, "Quit jumping on the couch, Haru." 

The girls were due back soon and they had to work out how Shizuku would agree to be kissed while Yamaken watched from a hiding spot. Yamaken's crew was no help, telling stories of how they wanted to secretly film girls in the onsen, pool changing rooms, and other ridiculous things. MItchan wacked one of them on the head with his magazine. "That would never work, idiot."

Yamaken knew Shizuku hated PDA so he suggested taking her out to the outer staircase. "Great!" Haru was excited. "Let's go scope it out!" He grabbed Yamaken's hand and Yamaken flashed back to their elementary school days. He remembered a few times they had crossed the street holding hands and was mildly familiar with the jolt of energy from Haru's hand to his. 

"Come on!" Haru drug him out to the stairs and Yamaken shook him off, hating being led. 

"You stand over here, Yamaken, in the shadow of this doorway. See how dark it is here? If I face her this way, away from you, she probably won't see you." Haru's eyes sparkled as he took Yamaken's shoulders and maneuvered him into the darkness of the doorway.

Was it too long that his hands stayed on Yamaken's shoulders? Yamaken looked into his grey eyes--they were such an interesting color--and he noticed the heat from Haru's hands on his shoulders. He was pushing him into the corner of the doorway, but so easily, 3 feet away, he could've been pushing him off the stairwell platform and into the alley. Haru was a strange mix of dangerous, scary, and joyful, playful. Yamaken's serious light eyes searched his face under the curtain of his hair, his eyes then fell onto Haru's lips. Haru suddenly seemed to notice.

"Yep, you're gonna have to watch. Serves you right Yamaken." His hot hands left Yamaken's shoulders and he turned away. "I need her more than you do."

"Need?" Yamaguchi puzzled this to himself, cocking his head. It was quiet out here on the stairs. Haru's voice had lost its jubilant level of noise. 

"Have you ever," Haru paused, looked at him, looked away, and continued, "kissed anyone?"

Yamaken flopped his head back, crossing his arms, "Of course I have." He hoped the aloof gleam in his eyes was getting through. "Haven't you?"

Haru was silent. Shizuku had been the only one. But he always thought about it, kissing. In all the manga he'd read, it always seemed like the best pages. Deep down he knew he wanted to experience more kisses, but he also knew that it was difficult to get Shizuku to consent to a lot of it. Unless he surprised her, it had to be her idea. Before he could think of an answer that wouldn't make him look like a baby, they heard a commotion from inside. The girls must have returned. 

"Stay there, Yamaken! Stay hidden! I'll lead her out. Haha! I won! Then you'll be sorry." Haru's diatribe faded as he opened the door and left. 

Yamaken sighed and resigned himself to this idiocy for a few minutes. What would've happened if he'd won? Would Haru actually let him kiss Shizuku-san? ...Hard to say. He didn't imagine that she was a great kisser. And it was true: many girls had kissed him, usually bold ones from group dates, after karaoke, with the sweet taste of soda still on their mouths. Girls from neighboring schools, friends of friends, they all seemed to find him alluring, something to be gotten, conquered. He may allow the very attractive ones a kiss, letting them think they had a hold of him. But he never returned their messages, and rarely saw the same girls twice. None of them yet had made him curious for more, attracted him like a challenge. Interestingly enough, Haru had given him a chance to see just how Shizuku would kiss. Would it be quick? Just a peck? She seemed like the type. She would mete out her emotions carefully, only allowing Haru the bare minimum. But Haru on the other hand, he was an unknown quantity, and probably kissed just like his personality. He was a wild card, and obviously full of emotions. Yamaken wondered how Haru would react to Shizuku pulling away? Would he grab her back for more? Just let her pull away and be satisfied? Had Haru ever kissed anyone open-mouthed? 

A hot whip of emotion swept through Yamaken then, leaving a wave of goosebumps in its wake and making him lean back against the wall in the darkness, catching his breath. For some reason the image of that in his head was too much, Haru, grabbing her arms and dragging her in for more, forcing her mouth open with his, his tongue making a fierce exploration, eyebrows stitched in concentration and aggression. Yamaken's neck was hot and he reached back to lift his hair off of it. 

Suddenly he heard the click of the door above him and heard Haru escorting Shizuku down the stairs in the warm evening air. He pressed back into the shadows as they passed dangerously close to him and stopped on the landing. He tried to quietly move back further into the dark corner. Shizuku had her back to him about six feet away. Haru had stopped her and had his hands on her small shoulders, his posture almost a direct mirror of how he'd pushed Yamaken into the corner. Haru shot a quick glance over her shoulder to the dark corner that he knew hid Yamaken. Then he focused quickly back on her.

"What is it, Haru? Why did you drag me out here?" Shizuku's low voice could be heard. Yamaken wondered himself how Haru would explain this.

"Well I wanted to welcome you back! But without everyone seeing, you know." He reached up to pet the back of his head bashfully, smiling wide. "So, welcome back," and with that he leaned down into a kiss. Yamaken watched as she tilted her head up to meet his lips. Yamaken scowled to himself. They were both idiots. Yamaken heard the smack of their lips as she pulled back. Haru opened his eyes and looked a bit dismayed, worried even. Haru threw a nervous glance over to Yamaken. Could Haru see him? Yamaken raised his eyebrows. Was that it for their kiss? It was so brief.

"What, Haru?" Shizuku had pulled back and was beginning to turn, but Haru's hands were still on her upper arms, holding her in place, holding her back facing Yamaken. Yamaken smirked at Haru. Did he think he could get another kiss out of Shizuku, who seemed to be getting fed up with all this? With his expressions, he dared Haru to get more out of her. 

"Umm," Haru stalled. "One more?" He put on a hopeful grin.

Yamaken heard her sigh, a sound both boys must've been quite used to by now. "Fine," she grumbled, "one more." She tilted her head back up and closed her eyes. 

But this time Haru didn't close his eyes. He was looking at Yamaken. Haru could see the glint of his eyes in the shadows, a flashing of hazel in the darkness. Yamaken was challenging him further with that look. Yamaken had perfected the look of superiority so well, and it was something that absolutely got under Haru's skin. As his lips touched Shizuku's he bore his eyes into Yamaken's, daring him right back, showing him that he had won, and that he was superior in this.

Yamaken scoffed silently but had to watch. For some reason he felt like he couldn't look away. Haru noticed him staring and his eyes fell down to Yamaken's mouth. Yamaken just then opened his mouth slightly. Haru took it as a sign and began to open his mouth during the kiss. He heard a little sound from Shizuku, probably shocked by that move. Yamaken reached his tongue out to coat his bottom lip. Haru pushed his tongue out too, and into Shizuku's mouth. It felt hot. Her mouth was small. He noticed Yamaken's mouth looked like a good size--bigger, his lips looked fuller and redder. Yamaken breathed out and rubbed his lips together. Haru's eyes were glued to them as he worked his tongue into Shizuku's mouth. She didn't seem to know how to respond. But Yamaken looked like he knew what he was doing. Haru watched him lick his lips again, saw the minimal light catch on the wetness of them.

Yamaken couldn't look away from Haru's grey eyes. He could feel a heat and electricity coming out of them. He bet Haru was a good kisser too. Though he suspected that the reason Haru didn't answer previously was because he had only kissed Shizuku. Yamaken had seen Haru's eyes portray many emotions: fear, anger, hatred, dissociation, and a blankness that he knew led only to his dark side. He shivered in the shadows there. Haru's grip had tightened on Shizuku, but his eyes were still open and boring into Yamaken. What was in them now seemed to be a challenge, defiance, power. And it was working to slowly unravel him. He wondered if Haru could see his emotions coming through his own eyes: arousal, curiosity, submission, aloof eventuality.

They were both broken out of their staring by Shizuku pulling back with a huff. "What are you doing? I have to go soon." She began to walk back toward the stairs and Yamaken pushed back trying to make himself as shadowy as possible.

Haru snapped out of it as she passed and bounded after her. "I'll walk you home!"

She sighed. "I'm going with Natsume, so you don't have to." 

Yamaken stayed out there for a few more minutes, feeling the adrenaline and emotions slowly seeping out of his body. The way he had watched Haru's mouth had confused him at first. He had meant to be watching Shizuku, but had been distracted by the silent communication he and Haru seemed to be having with their eyes, and their lips. Yamaken knew if Haru ever had him against a wall again, or here out on the stairs, against the railing that held him just above the long drop, he knew that he would submit, would agree, would give in to him. Maybe he could even lead Haru. Yamaken had experience. Haru didn't, and he hated to lose. It was as simple as that. 


End file.
